Page 6 of Redeem Me

“What happens now?” I ask, tears biting my eyes as I look up at my brother and beg him to help me.

Leon’s hard expression cracks ever so slightly. His hesitancy in the face of my pain is almost undetectable. However, under his cold exterior lies the heart of the boy who played pirates with me during the long summer months of our childhood.

Inhaling sharply, Leon hides himself again. “They will remain here as I supervise the situation.”

“What if my babies wake up and cry?”

“I will request a woman employee to comfort them.”

I consider complaining. Leon’s gaze zooms in on my lips twitching with the intent to set him straight.

“Thank you,” I say instead.

Leon’s hard expression cracks again. I feel him struggling to convey the same cruel demeanor as our father and older brothers. I have no doubt he’s a hundred percent committed to being the most intimidating asshole when faced with a threat to our family or empire. Yet, for his baby sister, he can’t quite hold the line.

Leaving my babies with Leon, I follow an emotionless guard inside the elevator. Most of the men I’ve encountered tonight are my brothers’ ages. The new guard is slowly sinking its claws into Banta City. I’m uncertain what that means for me. Would my father be more forgiving than the cold-eyed bastard waiting for me in the top office?

Roman looks majestic in his black slacks, white designer top, and shiny shoes. He radiates wealth and power. Only his wavy, brown hair betrays his flawless mannequin look. He inherited his untamable locks from our grandmother—a cold woman who married off her twelve children with the same disregard as tossing away a used napkin.

My gaze washes over the large office. The view is gorgeous as Banta City sparkles below us.

I remember visiting this office years ago when I was a clueless teenager, thinking my dad was a smart businessman. I assumed that’s why we moved into the Thibeaux Mansion, and Viktor was rewarded with this amazing view. I refused to see the truth until I was nearly eighteen and caught him beating a man to death on our back lawn.

Viktor Kovak isn’t an old man, yet he’s stepped back from the top spot. Now, Roman runs things, and he stares at me like I’m a disappointing employee about to get the ax.

Lifting my fake ID, he glances at it before leveling his blue-eyed gaze at me. “Natalie Simpson is dead,” he says rather than hello. “She died in the same fire as Andrew Grover and his two children.”

“Roman—”

He cuts me off with a flip of the hand. I go silent just like I would when my father insisted on silence at home. I feel my body fold into itself, wanting to disappear.

My dry lips burn when I lick them. The pain awakens me to how I beat a man half to death tonight. I gave up my “proud pacifist” patch for the same reason I find my voice.

“What about my children?”

Roman tosses my ID on his shiny black desk and crosses his arms. “They’re not really yours, now, are they?”

“I’ve raised them. They call me ‘mommy.’”

Roman’s lips tug into a snakelike smile as he rejoices over holding leverage over me.

“You made the family look weak when you bailed on your marriage pledge,” he says and watches me with unreadable eyes.

Though I consider apologizing, we’d both know I was lying.

“No more running,” Roman says and unclenches his arms. My brother walks like a smug panther coming upon a wounded prey. “You will live at the house with those children. If you attempt to flee, we’ll steal them away from you until you return. Eventually, we might choose to keep them hidden away for good.”

“I just have to stay home with our parents?” I ask, trying to convince myself I’m not currently a thing ground up underneath my brother’s shiny shoe.

“Until we can find a fool willing to marry you.”

My thoughts return to Bear O’Malley. I’d been surprised when he offered to be my husband. None of the Kovak family has ever married out of love. Matrimony is a duty saved for furthering the family’s fortune.

My gaze flashes to Roman’s hands. He wears no wedding ring. I noticed Leon remains single. Though I don’t know about the family’s middle son Maks, my only sister was married off years ago to a vulgar crime family outside of Cincinnati.

Beautiful and bossy Petra did her duty without complaining. Unlike her unimpressive husband, Bear O’Malley was ruggedly handsome, wonderful in bed, and made me smile.

Best-case scenario, Bear and I would fall desperately in love. Worst case, I’d endure a boring marriage while living in Banta City with my friends. The arrangement seemed perfect.

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